Personal Finance Tips

The increase in the number of electrical products we now have plugged into our electrical supply and left on standby has risen a hundred fold in the last 30 years. We are also leaving our gas central heating on for longer periods of time compared to our parents. We are wastful of our gas and electricity resources often without thinking. We could reduce our utility costs and in turn protect our fuel resources with a little thought.

Are you being mugged by your utility provider?

For many years now it has felt like I am being mugged by my utility provider. It often feels like my home is a supply station providing free gas and electricity to my neighbours when I look at my gas and electricity bills. Dick Turpin at least wore a mask when he was robbing. So faced with increasing utility costs I started to investigate how I could reduce my gas and electricity costs before I needed debt help. Here are my findings.

Government Grants website

Start by using the Government Grants website which provide a source of information for UK grants for gas central heating, loft insulation and cavity wall insulation. Government grants from 40% to 70% are available to homeowners and tenants for loft and cavity wall insulation. These grants will not be around forever once the funding has been exhausted.

Solar heating grants of £400 are available towards the cost of installation of solar panels which cost around £4,000 depending on the size of your home.

The Energy Saving Trust Website

Grants are available to help us implement energy saving measures and help reduce our carbon foot print. The Governments’ Energy Saving Trust website provides grants and they have a wonderful search tool to help you find grants or offers that are available for you in your area. All you need do is complete the questions asked on their search for grants and offers page. You will then be presented with a list of providers offering discounted prices or grants in your area.

Savings you can expect from loft and cavity wall insulation?

Our homes lose around 35%of our heat through the walls and 25% through the roof. The Governments Energy Saving Trust website has an Energy Saving House where they show you a full range of energy saving measures. For example if you installed loft and cavity wall insulation you could reduce you’re heating bills by around £365 a year and reduce your home’s carbon dioxide emissions by up to 1.5 tonnes

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Old central heating boilers are inefficient

Consider changing you’re central heating boiler if it is over ten years old. This will reduce your gas bill as older central heating unit are only 70% efficient. Simply this means that for every £1 of gas that you pay your old unit wastes 30pence. Add some heating controls taps to your central heating radiators and you could save a further 17% of your heating bill.

If you were to replace your entire central heating system with heating control taps, a condensing boiler and an upgraded heating controller you could expect a 40% saving off your gas heating costs. This would give you a saving of £275 a year depending on the size of your home.

How to reduce your monthly utility bill

Here is a list of different solutions that are available to help you reduce your gas and electricity bill. The grants and discounts available will vary according to the size of your home, your location, your annual income and your age.

* A portable Wireless Energy monitor to control your electrical wastage

* Grants are available for gas central heating depending on age and benefits being claimed by the applicant

* Grants and discounts are available for loft insulation from £199

* Grants and discounts are available for cavity wall insulation from £199

* Grant are available of £400 towards Solar panel instalations

* Replace existing light bulbs with Energy Saving Light bulbs, they cost around £2 per bulb and you could expect a saving of around £45 before it needs replacing. These energy saving light bulbs use 80% less electricity and will last ten times longer than a standard light bulb. Count the number of bulbs you need and see big savings.

* Update your Central heating unit if older then 10 years. Consider changing your old heating system for either a condensing boiler with an upgraded heating control unit or you may want to replace it with a Combi Boiler as this will replace a conventional hot-water storage cylinder and water tanks in the loft. Costs from £2,000

* Add heating controls tap to all your radiators from £7.99 each

* Switch Utility providers for a better deal.

* Switch your gas and electricity providers to a duel fuel provider if you have not already done this for further savings around £115

* Pay your utility bills monthly by direct debit for a further discount from your provider.

* Switch to an online account with your utility provider. You can now read your gas and electricity meters monthly and update the information for an accurate bill. This will prevent over billing from estimated assessments of your usage.

Some people still use coin operated meters for their gas and electricity they should consider changing to a monthly bill as it is more expensive to have a coin operated meter.

* When your appliances and lighting are not being used then switch them off.

* An estimated £910 million is wasted in the UK every year by people leaving televisions, computers, TV set-top boxes and radios on standby.

* Use a timer to turn your central heating on and off as required.

* Consider switching to Energy Saving Recommended household appliances as they could cut your energy consumption by up 33% compared to your old appliance. Only do this when you replace broken or old appliances.

For further ways of reducing your gas and utility bill you should visit the Energy Saving Trust website.

Wireless energy Monitors

If you’re serious about cutting your electricity bills then fitting a wireless energy monitor should be a top priority. We all have electricity meters in our homes which are hidden away in a cupboard outside and are only read once or twice a year. You need to know how much electricity your home is using at anytime of the day or night. Wireless energy monitors provide an instant monitor of how much electricity you are using 24 hours a day. The manufacturers say that using a wireless energy monitor could save up to 20% off your electricity costs.

Anyone can reduce their Gas and Electricity bills

Anyone can reduce their gas and electricity bills by at least 20% following the sixteen ways listed above. You will need to spend some money to make these reductions work. Once done the rewards will return month after month. By implementing a few of these frugal tips you will reduce your gas and electricity bills in the future.

You are probably thinking I cannot afford to make all these changes. It is wise to start making changes with the changes that cost the least and then work your way through the list till you have tackled the more expensive changes. Remember by making these changes you will not only save money each month but you will be helping our planet HOME by reducing your carbon dioxide emissions.